Adrian White working hard to help students bridge gaps

Adrian White has worked with and for our district for many years now, in various capacities. To give you an idea of the caliber of this man, he’s the only individual I’m aware of who has been voted teacher of the year (in multiple states) as well as support person of the year.

Gentle and soft-spoken, his calling is helping others, especially students.

As part of our Language, Culture, and At-Risk Services (formerly Federal Programs Department), White has been the ENLACE Higher Education Coordinator since 2011. Although ENLACE — a national organization funded by the New Mexico Public Education Department — stands for “Engaging Latino Communities for Education,” it is emphasized the services offered are not exclusively for Latino students, but for all students who need guidance and assistance; help and resources for all students, regardless of race, culture, or other criteria.

Even though our overall commitment to students in public education extends through the end of their secondary education, White’s focus, through ENLACE, is helping students during any grade level in high school to bridge that gap to their futures through continuing education. This may mean help with college or vocational/technical school selection; helping with ACT/SAT prep; the college application process; student financial aid application process, and much more.

This also includes meeting with students and, often, their parents or guardians to help them walk through the process.

One of the most important aspects is providing them with a multitude of resources related to scholarship opportunities. This can be overwhelming, and with some of the complexities, easy to overlook essentials. White described the services provided as “that hand reaching out to students helping show them the potential for their futures; providing resources they might need; helping them connect to the right individuals at whatever institution.”

White relayed many touching stories over the years about how such meaningful help has transformed lives. Kids returning with advanced degrees to thank him, who may have come from families that told them they’d never make it in college. Kids who return with their own families to introduce their children to the man who helped them. So many wonderful and moving stories.

White’s modest demeanor seems to epitomize that quote attributed to Harry Truman: “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.”

As White said in closing, “There’s not a day when I don’t wake up and look forward to doing what I do.”

Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy is the instructional technology coordinator for Clovis Municipal Schools. She can be reached at:

[email protected]